The Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola has challenged African countries to set up transport authorities to drive the transport vision for their cities as more cities in the continent become more urbanised. Dr. Mobereola while speaking to a five-man delegation from Uganda on a two-day study visit to LAMATA to understand the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and its sustenance for over five years, said apart from having a political champion, there was the need for governments to set up the transport institution and put together the technical personnel before implementing the system.

He said experience has shown that transport initiatives put up in the Western world were successful largely because they first put in place the institutional and legal frameworks to ensure the sustainability of the institution. Dr. Mobereola further noted that the case of Lagos was unique as several studies carried out identified the need for Lagos to implement an integrated intermodal transport system to cater for its expected population surge.

He therefore enjoined the Ugandan government to borrow a leaf from Lagos by first establishing the agency by an Act of Parliament, recruit the required technical staff and provide the necessary framework for its operations.

The LAMATA boss advised the Ugandan government to consider an integrated, intermodal public transport system for the city of Kampala, with a population of two million people, saying cities as economic hubs attract a lot of people and when implemented, it would make the economy work optimally.

Leader of the delegation, Mr Godfrey Wandera, a Director in Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport, said the visit has brought to fore the need to consider an integrated transport system for the city of Kampala.